[Breaking] SC Rejects Plea To Remove Arvind Kejriwal As Delhi CM

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The Supreme Court’s refusal to entertain the petition seeking the removal of Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Delhi. The responsibility to address the issue lies with the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.

[Breaking] SC Rejects Plea to Remove Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi CM

NEW DELHI: Today (13th April): The Supreme Court rejected a petition that sought the removal of Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi and leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The plea was filed in the wake of Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy. However, the court stated that it cannot intervene in such matters and that it is the responsibility of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi to address the issue.

A Bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta stated that the court cannot delve into such matters and emphasized that it is the prerogative of the Lieutenant Governor to take appropriate action.

The Bench commented,

“Why should we delve into this matter? It is within the jurisdiction of the Lieutenant Governor to take appropriate action. There is no legal entitlement for us to intervene. It is a matter of propriety, one might argue… and that is all.”

Prior to the Supreme Court’s decision, the Delhi High Court had also declined to entertain a similar plea seeking directions to remove Kejriwal as the Chief Minister following his arrest by the ED. The High Court expressed its reluctance to be dragged into a political dispute and decided to impose a cost of Rs 50,000 on the petitioner. Dissatisfied with the High Court’s ruling, the petitioner approached the Supreme Court with an appeal.

Arvind Kejriwal is currently out on interim bail until June 1, granted by the Supreme Court. However, he is restricted from performing his duties as the Chief Minister, including signing official documents or utilizing the Chief Minister’s office.

The plea before the High Court argued that Kejriwal’s continuation in office, despite being incapacitated, raises constitutional complexities and infringes upon the right to life of the people in Delhi.

Earlier, on March 28, the High Court rejected a similar public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Surjit Singh Yadav. Subsequently, on April 4, the Court also declined to entertain another PIL filed by Vishnu Gupta, the president of Hindu Sena. The Court opined that the decision to continue as Chief Minister or not rests with Kejriwal himself.

READ PREVIOUS REPORTS ON REMOVAL OF KEJRIWAL AS DELHI CM